The outfit
by ninja pirate princess
Summary: Levy's looking for an outfit to wear, and she stumbles upon one from her past. She thought she forgave Gajeel for the whole Phantom Lord thing, but something's holding her back. Will she be able to find the strength to move forward? Or will she be forever stuck in her bad memories? (Levy x Gajeel) (One-shot) (small edit)


**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail, and its characters are both owned by Hiro Mashima**

* * *

Magnolia in the summer time, is a wonderful time. The sun is always shining, the birds are always singing, the children are always playing, and the people are always smiling. Only every so often, clouds would roll through the sky, making the sun's rays disappear for a moment. It gave the people a break from the heat, and gave them time to realize how much they love the sun. The sun, it's the same wherever you see it. Even if you're outside by yourself, the sun is always watching, giving you heat and light. The sun knows many stories, it's been around forever. However, this isn't a story from the sun, it's a story of memories.

Levy McGarden, solid script mage of the guild, "Fairy Tail,". A petite girl she was, but it didn't bother her all the time. The sun had just made its appearance in the sky when the bluenette awoke with a yawn. Her eyelids were still heavy at the time, and not use to the sunlight pouring through her room. Everyday, her room seemed more and more like a library. Books on tall shelves, on short shelves, books stacked on top of books. It was a surprise that she could navigate herself around the rooms. She loved it. Being surrounded by the things that made her happy (besides her friends). It made her feel at ease when she was feeling stressed, knowing she could just pick up a book and start reading it.

Her hazel eyes got used to the light, and she glanced at her alarm clock. It was only a little after ten, so the time didn't bother her too much. She climbed off her bed and made her way to the bathroom, where she quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. When she got a glance of herself in the mirror, she was surprised to see how messy her hair was. She looked for her brush, but soon realized she had misplaced it.

Making her way back to her room, she found her brush laying on top of her dresser, next to a yellow headband. It was plain yellow, bright like the sun, she had worn it often, but soon forgot about it. She picked it up, her gentle fingers running across the fabric. She remembered when she first wore it, it was kind of like love at first sight. The yellow color made her feel calm, and happy.

Levy remembered that she was going to go to the guild (as she did everyday), and looked down at her clothes; she was still wearing her pajamas. She walked towards her closet, and eyed the hangers. She rested her chin on her fist, wondering what to wear. Her hand began to reach for her orange dress, it was her favorite, and was comfortable to move it. Before she touched it, something caught her sight; something in the far corner. Her movements ceased, now she was curious, was it a new outfit that she had forgotten about? Moving the other clothes aside, she froze at the sight.

The outfit was a denim vest, that buttoned at the bottom and covered a from the top of the belly button up. The vest was a v-neck and visible was a bikini top-like yellow covering. Below it, was white shorts, that came up to a little bit above the knee. A dark brown belt looped around the waist. Her eyes wandered up and down the outfit, soon she realized she was no longer looking at the outfit. Her eyes were now glued on a lowly shoe box. She bent down and picked it up, opening it, she found brown sandals.

Her mind was blank, for the first time in forever. She had no words running through her mind, no words to climb out of her mouth. No words to express how she was feeling. Her smooth hand grabbed the hanger and held it close to her. "I had almost forgotten about this." She said to herself in the empty room. In a way, she didn't really forget, but she did.

Levy's hazel eyes closed slowly, remembering the last time she wore _that _outfit.

* * *

_The dark street of Magnolia aren't dangerous, they're just empty. Empty streets with empty thoughts. There was no sun, of course there wasn't, it was night time. There was no warmth, there was no light, there was only shadows. No one was up and about, except for Team Shadow Gear, making up of Jet, Droy, and Levy who were the only ones walking on the sidewalk. The walked along the river together, Jet and Droy were debating if Levy should go back to Fairy Hills, the girl's dorm, instead of staying with them. _

"_Don't worry, after all, we're a team!" She sounded so confident. Maybe it was because she thought they were alone. In the empty street, with empty thoughts. Little did she know, they were not alone. _

_It was normal that Jet and Droy fought of who was going to protect Levy. What wasn't normal was when a large shadow darted at them with amazing speed. The impact knocked all three of them to the ground. Jet and Droy keeled, with Levy behind them. "Levy, run!" One of the said. She couldn't remember who said it, she couldn't even remember if one of them even said that. The only thing she could hear was the pounding of her heart and her deep breathing._

_The figure, who still stood in the shadows, took a fighting stance. The only things visible, were characteristics that haunted her. Red, sharp eyes, a toothy grin, long black hair, and fists that weren't fists any more. They looked more like mallets, iron mallets. _

_Levy McGarden, a joyful girl, was now scared for her life. _

_She couldn't remember much about the fight, if there was even a fight, but she did know that it ended. It ended alright, it ended her peace of mind. She remembered being dragged along, more like trash than people. Her eyelids stayed afloat, fighting to keep consciousness. Levy's fear wasn't to lose, it was the fear of giving into the rest she needed dearly. Her fear of closing her eyes, and not being able to open them again. _

_Her eyes were open, but her mind was asleep._

_The only thing keeping her eyes from closing, was the way the attacker keep moving her to nail her hands to the tree. The tree she had many, happy, memories under, the tree that gave shelter to her when it rained, the tree that had given her shade when she read, the tree that let her rest. It seemed as though the tree was going to let her rest again. For she closed her eyes before the attacker was done. When the attacker had finished pinning the team, he drew a symbol on her skin. She could still feel the wet paint slowly drying. Though ,she had no strength to move, she felt the tree's support behind her. _

_Although her eyes were closed, she could still hear movements, she could still feel the swaying of the trees branches, and she could hear the gasps of the crowd that had gathered around the tree. Levy's consciousness slipped away slowly, but she didn't care anymore. She knew that when her friends saw her, the attacker would feel sorry. He would feel sorry he ever made an enemy of Fairy Tail. _

* * *

Levy's eyelid's shot back open. How long had she stood there, holding that outfit? She glanced at the clock in the back of the room. The time was around eleven, she had been so lost in her memories, that she let time slip away.

Her vision returned to the outfit, inside her mind was a debate whether or not to wear it.

"_It's been so long," _she thought.

Another voice said, "_It will only bring back bad memories." _

Both voices were right, the voice of the future and the voice of the past. One voice wanted to move on, the other didn't want the past to repeat itself, for the _fear _to repeat itself.

"_He's not the same as he was before," _the voice of reason.

"_How can you be for sure?" _The voice of worry.

"_I trust him," _the voice of trust.

"_Does he trust you?" _The voice of doubt.

Levy closed her eyes in frustration. "It's just an outfit!" She said angrily to the empty room. "I won't keep living in the past," She held up the outfit once again, admiring how it looked. Her smile was small, but it was still a smile. That smile held a small ray of hope for a new beginning.

She quickly put the outfit on, getting used to the feeling and grabbed her white bag. Levy looked at herself once more in the mirror and smiled. Though, something seemed missing. The thought hit her when she glanced at her hair. Levy had many headbands, but the only true way to be able to complete the outfit was to wear the one that she wore that day. Her legs carried her to her bed, the yellow fabric showing itself clearly. She fixed it onto her hair, and walked off.

* * *

The walk to the guild was normal. She didn't know what she was expecting, something extraordinary to happen? Nothing did, however, she did smile and that was something extraordinary to her.

This was it, the only thing standing between her and moving on, was the guild's doors. The large doors that kept her from going in. She took a step back, maybe she wasn't ready for a big step like this. She turned around, but stopped; both of hands turned into fists. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard," she spoke to herself in a harsh way, "I won't let something like the past or this stupid outfit keep me from moving forward." She turned back around, and pushed the doors open.

The place was as wild as ever; Gray and Natsu arguing, Juvia swooning over Gray, Mirajane smiling, Elfman yelling about being a man, and everyone with smiles on their faces. Levy felt out of place, the frown from before still appearing. Seeing everyone have fun, made her smile. She took that first step, and it felt wonderful.

Levy made her way to the bar, where Lucy and Mirajane where talking. It must have been about something personal, because Lucy turned bright red and shook her head furiously. Her footsteps caught their attention, both mages gasped. They didn't expect her to wear that again.

"Levy-chan, good morning…" Lucy greeted, "You look great!"

Levy let out a relieved sigh, "Good morning, Lu-chan. Thanks, it took some time to figure out what to wear." She smiled, but with worry in her eyes, remembering what had happened.

Lucy got the hint that it took some effort for her to wear that outfit. That's the kind of friends they were, they could tell when something emotional was going on, even if it was tough.

Mirajane gave another charming smile, "It's nice to see you moving on," she gestured to Levy's outfit, "It suits you."

"Thanks," Levy responded, "Can I have glass of water, please?"

"Sure thing," the barmaid walked away for only a moment when she returned with the drink.

Levy sipped the cool refreshing water, then she realized, the one who made her debate on wearing the outfit was not at the guild. She was sort of sad, she wanted him to see her. Not to just see her wear an outfit, but for him to see that she doesn't let what happened in the past bother her. Before she knew it, the water was gone, satisfying her thirst. A smile crept on her face, it really cooled her down.

Sitting here wasn't going to do her any good, not that she didn't want to spend time with the guild. She was thinking about going to look for him, but decided not to. He probably wouldn't remember that's what she wore anyways. Without thinking, she stood up, and made her way to the door.

Lucy looked worried, "Are you leaving already, Levy-chan?"

Levy looked back, and smiled, "Sorry, Lu-cha, it's just that," there was a short pause, "There's something I need to get off of my chest." She continued her way, not looking back.

Mirajane sighed, "She's strong," this caught Lucy's attention, "She might not realize it, but she is. It takes great strength to move past memories that have taken a toll on your life." It somehow reminded her of how she lost Lisanna. The pain of having her gone, knowing each day that she wasn't coming back, knowing that she wasn't going to see that smile. Mira moved past it, she showed up to the guild, and smiled. Even though Lisanna's back, Mira will never forget that feeling.

It wasn't long before the guild's doors opened again. This time, it wasn't a petite script mage standing in the doorway, it was a tall iron dragon slayer and his exceed. Lily walked beside Gajeel as they made their way to a table in the very back. They exchanged a few words, then Lily departed to talk with Happy and Carla. Gajeel kept eyeing the crowd in the guild as if looking for something. You could tell when he gave up because his muscles relaxed and he sighed deeply.

Mirajane glanced at the lonely dragon slayer, and an idea brewed in her mind. "It's a shame Levy just left." She said to Lucy, who nodded in agreement.

Gajeel's ears perked up and he leaned on the table.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "She just needs to figure some stuff out." The celestial mage had no idea that she was throwing oil in the flames of Mira's plan.

"That's not all," Mira added, "I'm worried about what'll happen while she's in town."

Lucy was confused, yet curious at the same time. She was unaware of Gajeel's close attention in their conversation.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, tilting her head a bit.

"Well after all," the barmaid leaned on the bar, "She's wearing such a cute outfit, I wouldn't be surprised if some strange man tried to speak with her." She turned around so the two wouldn't see her smirk.

"Mira!" Lucy exclaimed, "Don't say stuff like that," she smiled nervously, having a feeling Mirajane was up to something. "But I suppose you're right, and she did look pretty cute."

Gajeel stood up and walked towards the door, the tables making a screeching sound as he pushed them aside. The guild's doors opened and shut quickly, making a loud sound throughout the guild. Mirajane giggled at the sight.

Lucy nervously chuckled, "Why do I have a feeling you had something to do with that?" The barmaid just put her index finger over her lips and winked, making Lucy even more nervous.

* * *

Gajeel wandered through town, taking sniffs at the air every few minutes. It wasn't until he finally got the scent he was looking for that he smirked. He still walked at his own pace, not wanting to cause any attention. He found himself on a bridged and stayed there for a while. "Why is her scent just lingering here?"he asked out loud. It seemed as though the one he was looking for stopped at the bridge, and stopped for a long time considering the strong scent.

When he finally got her trail again, he found himself on the edge of a park. The green grass beneath his feet bent flexibly as he stood there. That's what he did, he stood, doing nothing. Nothing, but staring, in the direction of the giant tree in the middle of the grassy area. There he saw a girl with blue hair, hugging herself. She stood there calmly, she stood among the giant tree.

Gajeel didn't know what had gotten into him, but his legs finally began to move. The moved towards the girl, and he didn't know why. For some reason he wanted to approach her, yet he wanted to avoid her at the same time. There was a breeze that made his long hair float behind him, and it made the girl's do the same. When she was in earshot range he called out, "O-Oi." It was unoriginal, but he was a lost for words.

The girl turned around, and hazel eyes met red. "G-Gajeel." She said. There was no doubt about it, she's the one he's been looking for, and he's the one she's been waiting for. "Gajeel," she said again, softly, "I-"

"Stop," he interrupted her. He gazed at the ground, shutting his eyes and making his hands into fists. "Not only are you wearing _that _outfit," he stated coldly, "But you're standing in front of _that _tree." His fists started to shake, making Levy scared, "Is that it?" he glared at her, "Are you trying to shove one of the biggest mistake of my life back in my face?"

Levy moved back, shaken up, "No, I-"

"Are you trying to make me regret what I did back then?" he continued, not even letting her speak. The two just stood there, as if frozen in time. The breeze faded away, as did his patience. "Because I do."

Levy looked at him, surprised. She took a step forward, but felt like he wasn't done yet, so she stopped.

"I have," he said, "I thought we could move past that," He turned away, "But's it's clear that you just want to bring it all back." He started to walk, his back turned to Levy, "See ya."

Levy couldn't believe it, there he goes. The one guy that really hurt her, yet, he turned out to be the guy she really cared about. Levy didn't want it to end like this, especially after all the strength she went through to move past it all. Tears began to fill her eyes as she watched the one she wanted to be with walk away from her. She didn't know what she thought, but she knew what she had to do. She ran. Her little legs carried her through that park, she picked up speed and without thinking, she hugged Gajeel from behind.

Gajeel's eyes widened, "Hey, what're you-" He was cut off when she squeezed him. The sound of the wind no longer filled his ears, but it was the sound of crying.

"Don't go." She whispered, "Please." She sniffled.

The iron dragon slayer lifted his arm up to get a clear look at her face. Her nose was red, and clear tears ran down her cheeks. This made Gajeel _very _nervous, what was he supposed to do? A shade of red appeared on cheeks, seeing her like this. It made his heart stop, and his brain think.

Levy ceased her sniffling, "I-I couldn't move on," she explained, "I knew you w-were good now, but something was still keeping m-me in the past." Her voice was no longer soft and clear, it was now shaky and full of sadness. "I-I wore this, because I thought I could be strong, and move past e-everything that happened back then." The guilt could be seen on Gajeel's face clearly. "These clothes still kept the memories I wanted to move past, I-I wanted to do it, for us. It only made you feel sad and guilty, I'm sorry." She stopped for the last time, and let her tears flow.

Gajeel wasted no time turning around to face her. Levy had made her hands into fists and raised them to her eye-level, her soft cheeks were now a bright pink. Gajeel smirked, and put a hand on her head, "I did all that stuff to you," Levy opened her eyes to look at him, "And yet, here you are, apologizing to _me_. What part of that seems right?"

Levy's crying stopped, her hands fell to her side and she just stood there, staring at the one she had chased after. His other hand touched her cheek, attempting to wipe her tears away. A small smile formed on her lips and she touched the hand that was on her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What're you thanking me for? I didn't do anything worth a thanks." He turned away from her again.

"You helped me," she replied, "Now I have no problem."

"No problem with what?" He turned to face her again.

When he turned, his cheek met her lips. They were soft, yet warm, Gajeel stayed in his place, like a statue, he could feel his face burning up. When Levy parted, she giggled at Gajeel's temporary state. His eyes were wide, his earlobes red, and his mouth was left hanging open, it was like his whole body just shut down.

"Thanks," Gajeel finally said, not looking away. "Now I have no problem, gihi." He smirked.

"No problem with wha-"

Levy's lips were captured by another's, she didn't know how to respond, but to her, it felt right. It was only a peck (Gajeel was already nervous as he was), but when they parted, they were both glowing red. Levy's cheeks were no longer stained with the tears that once roamed her face, instead, there was a beautiful smile. "I love you." She told him.

He turned away, "Yeah, yeah, of course you do." He began to walk away, but had the feeling he wasn't being followed. Gajeel could feel the bookworm's eyes stabbing him like daggers, "Alright, alright," he gave in. He faced her again and smirked, "I love you too, _shorty._" He said sarcastically.

Levy made an irritated face, "Any chance of you not calling me names?"

"Gihi," he snickered, "Nope. Although, you shouldn't get too mad, after all, you do look cute in that outfit."

He began to walk away, but not before Levy grabbed a hold of his arm. Gajeel didn't say anything, he didn't mind.

* * *

**Well, this was my first try at a one-shot with Gajeel and Levy! Please let me know what you thought about it in the reviews. Thanks for reading!**

**-Ninja**


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